What causes verrucas?

A Verruca is simply a wart on the sole of the foot that is caused by a virus. Although the virus that causes a Verruca is the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), which is linked to cervical and penile cancer, it’s important to realise that there are over 100 different types of HPV, and that the type of HPV that causes verrucas is not the same as the type that leads to cervical and penile cancer. When the verruca virus infects skin, it causes excessive production of a protein called keratin (which is also a key component of hair and nails), resulting in a hard and rough skin texture. Because HPV can have a very long incubation period (the time between contracting the virus and seeing the verruca), it’s not always easy to tell where you may have picked up the virus – which means that it’s very important to take precautionary measures at all times to prevent yourself from catching it.